Observed Signal · Mar 24, 2026 · Partnership · Source: Digiday · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Top sports clubs invest in social media operations
Major sports clubs are investing in owned media and social operations to attract sponsors and monetize fan audiences. Brands increasingly value clubs’ owned social channels for promotion and sweepstakes, exemplified by BlueAir becoming the New York Knicks’ first “air care” partner and gaining access to the Knicks’ TikTok and Instagram audiences. Clubs are building production facilities and content platforms — the L.A. Chargers added a media and podcasting studio as part of a $250 million development, Arsenal launched an app called “The Arsenal,” and Internazionale expanded its social footprint to about 90 million followers and partnered with TikTok and YouTube. Industry participants say owned content helps boost merchandise, ticket sales and sponsorship revenue; Nielsen Sports projects the European sponsorship market at €24.79 billion in 2025.
Growth in clubs’ owned media and social production creates new premium inventory and sponsorship value, affecting how advertisers allocate sponsorship and digital marketing budgets across sports properties.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- BlueAir (a Unilever-owned brand) signed as the New York Knicks’ first “air care” partner and will access Knicks promotions on social channels.
- The New York Knicks have roughly 1.9 million followers on TikTok and 4.7 million on Instagram.
- NFL franchise L.A. Chargers built a dedicated media and podcasting studio into a new $250 million training and corporate site.
- Nielsen Sports estimated the European sports sponsorship market at €24.79 billion ($28.60 billion) in 2025, up 5.9% year-on-year.
- Internazionale expanded its total social media fanbase to about 90 million followers and reported organic sponsorship revenue growth that pushed the club into profit at the end of 2025.
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